Putting the Future of Credentialing Project Into Action: An Update

In my 35 years in the association management field, I’ve learned that the future is exciting to some and daunting to others. But one thing is for certain — we have little choice in what the future brings. Preparing for the future is one of the most important aspects as we endeavor to make a difference for those we represent.

That was the spirit given to developing the recently released I.C.E. Future of Credentialing project. Understanding future possibilities allows us to strategically prepare for the future. The project, available to all, includes:

• A report describing three drivers of change (Credentialing Under Pressure; Government and Credentialing; and Technology Innovation)
• A PowerPoint deck for use with organizational leadership to open up the conversation on the concepts in the report
• A facilitator’s guide to assist those in positions of introducing this material to a decision-making body
• A “How to Think Like a Futurist” workshop

After the release of the project at the I.C.E. Member Town Hall in February, I.C.E. hosted three follow-up CEO Discussions (each one tackling a different driver) and a Sustaining Member Town Hall to focus on how sustaining member influencers can engage with the project’s material. The I.C.E. webpage dedicated to this project houses many of these resources.

As a way to continue the conversation around the project, I.C.E. is releasing two surveys for member organizations. One will request general feedback, which I.C.E. will use to guide future research priorities of similar scope to Future of Credentialing. The other, a prioritization tool survey, is for organizations to use with their own leadership, to gain feedback on what aspects of the report are most urgent and relevant to their particular organization. This survey will provide organizations with results in an individualized report, which can aid in discussion and strategic planning. I.C.E. will also aggregate the data collected in these surveys once critical mass has been reached, to offer members a sense of what respondents in our community are most concerned about or most inspired by.

The impact of this project is already being felt by member organizations that have used it to lead difficult but critical conversations about future dynamics that could impact their profession — the report has been downloaded over 350 times. One organization has used the PowerPoint deck in small slices to facilitate board discussions over the course of several meetings. Another has developed a dashboard with select elements from the report and internal measurements to track progress. We also know that many sessions at the I.C.E. Exchange are being crafted around the content in the report to demonstrate its impact in the board room and the workplace.

Practicing foresight is critically important to organizations like I.C.E., as we aim to offer relevant and impactful resources to our organization members. Considering this, the I.C.E. Board of Directors has been selecting various topics from the report to discuss and gain insight into its possible impacts and how the credentialing community may need to respond in the future. Foresight requires that we think through various scenarios and possibilities to decide what are probable and likely outcomes in the future. We can then use that analysis to make decisions or plot a course in preparation for future scenarios — ensuring better results for the professions and industries you represent.

You can learn more about the I.C.E. Future of Credentialing resources on our website. Let us know how you are using these resources in your organization, with your leadership, staff team or with your certificants. We’d like to hear more case studies about the project’s impact in the community. I’d also love to hear directly from you — feel free to drop me a note. And if you haven’t yet downloaded this resource, please do. It’s free for all I.C.E. members